MINUTES 
                                           
                  SENATE COMMITTEE ON WATER POLICY, SELECT INTERIM 
                             Wednesday, August 4, 2004 
                                     10:30 a.m. 
                           Baylor Law School, Waco, Texas 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Water Policy,  
         Select Interim was held on Wednesday, August 4, 2004, in the  
         Baylor Law School, Waco, Texas 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister              Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator Kip Averitt                     Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Bob Deuell                      Senator Frank Madla 
         Senator Troy Fraser                     Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
         Senator Jon Lindsay                     Senator Todd Staples 
                                                 Senator Tommy Williams 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The chair called the meeting to order at 10:40 a.m.  The  
         following business was transacted:   
          
         Senator Armbrister recognized Senator Averitt for welcoming  
         remarks.  Senator Armbrister then recognized The Honorable Mae  
         Jackson, Mayor for the City of Waco for welcoming remarks.   
         Senator Armbrister then introduced Kingsbery Otto, the new  
         General Counsel for the Senate Natural Resources Committee.   
          
         Senator Armbrister reviewed the charges for the Select Committee  
         on Water Policy and recognized the following for invited  
         testimony: 
          
         Commissioner Larry Soward, Texas Commission on Environmental  
         Quality 
         Phil Ford, General Manager, Brazos River Authority  
         Joe Hinton, Brazos River Authority 
         Kevin Ward, Executive Administrator, Texas Water Development  
         Board  
         John Foster, Natural Resource Specialist, Texas State Soil and  
         Water Conservation Board 
         Ned Meister, Commodity and Regulatory Programs, Texas Farm  
         Bureau  
         The Honorable Leon Smith, Mayor, City of Clifton  
         Dick Collins, President, Action Municipal Utility District  
         Boone Pickens, Mesa Water, Inc., and Panhandle Ranchers 
         Richard Bowers, President, Texas Alliance of Groundwater  
  
         Districts 
         Mary Kelly, Environmental Defense 
         Robert Harden, R.W, Harden and Associates, Inc.  
         Trey Powers, Texas Department of Agriculture 
         David Langford, Texas Wildlife Association  
         The Honorable John Leedom, Weather Modification Association 
          
         The Chair then opened public testimony and recognized the  
         following for testimony (see attached list for complete list of  
         witnesses).  
          
         There being no further business at 5:25 PM, Senator Armbrister  
         moved the Committee stand recessed, subject to the call of the  
         Chair.  
          
         __________________________________ 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister, Chairman 
          
         __________________________________ 
         Kelly C. Gilbert, Committee Clerk